Scrubbing device



May 7, 1940 A. s. Jur-:LsoN 2.200.026

- f scRUBBING DEVICE Filed Ju1y,6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l MMWMQSLW y l causing liquid to be supplied.

4Patented May 7, 1940 l I l i l l UNITE-D STATES; PATENT oFFlcs n. y "wmlLLSHI 2' This invention relates to a scrubbing device for downwardly and so maintains the valve member use in cleaning rugs, upholstery, etc., and deals I4 in position to tightly close the opening I3 in particularly with the type ofdevice which emthe side of the handle. To provide an effective ploys a vacuum for removing the dirt, dust, etc, seal the member I 4 has at its end portion the 5 from the surface being cleaned. Semi-Cylindrical Dieee i4 Which may be lined An object of the invention is to .providea'scrubwithsome resilient material Mb to more tightly bing device which will deliver liquid to the surengage the edges of opening I3. The forward lface to be cleaned and which will effectively -end of' a cable 20 is received through the end remove the liquid and entrained dirt particles of lever I8 and is equipped with a head 2| at its 10 from the surface. A iurtherobject is to provide extreme end. This cable may be made of wire lo such a scrubbing device which has improved or other suitable iiexible material, and may be means for delivering liquid to the surface to be encased in a covering 22. cleaned, and in which the operation of the suc- A flexible tube or hose 23 is connected at its tion producing means can be made effective in one end to the handle II and has its other end connected with the inlet pipe 24 ofthe separatl5 Another object is to provide a. scrubbing deing unit 25 vwhich forms a part of the blower vice having novel means of control by which and separator apparatus B. suction at the nozzle may be relieved while liquid The apparatus B may be any suitable device is being supplied and while the nozzle is used as for producing a suction to draw air and dirta scrub brush to agitate and clean the surface. laden liquid in through nozzle A and for separatso Other objects will appear as the specification ing out the dirt-laden liquid from the air. The

proceeds. device illustrated includes an air cleaning unit An embodiment of the invention is illustrated 25 and a blower unit 26 which I have described by the accompanying drawings in whichfully in my pending application Serial No. 145,871,

Fig. 1 is a part sectional view inside elevation filed June 1. 1937. und Whieh Will not be described showing the blower'and separator apparatus and in detail here. It is suiiiclent to say that mixed the liquid supply container employed in this ernair and liquid entering through inlet pipe 24 is bodiment; Fig. 2, a broken elevational view of given e rapid circulating mOtiOn Within unit 25, the cleaning .nozzle and handle; Fig. 3, a detail and the dirt-laden liquid is retained in this unit view showing the underside of the nozzle; Fig. 4, while the clean air is discharged from the unit. Aa broken view. illustrating the valves and valve -The blower unit 26 includes fan mechanism which control means here employed; Fig. 5, a sectionall produces a suction effective in drawing air view of l the tubular handle, the section being through the nozzle and through the cleaner and taken as indicated at line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and causes the clean air to be discharged through 35 Fig. 6, a sectional view of the tube taken as inthe outlet conduit 21. If desired, the blower unit a5 dicated at line 6-6 of Fig. 2. 26 might be placed on the other side of the sep- As illustrated, Adesignates a Cleaning nozzle; arator unit 25 so as lto force the dirt-laden air B, a blower and 4Sepafi'ii'il apparatus; and C, v through separator unit 25 and out through an means for Supplying liquid t0 the Surface being outlet conduit such as conduit 21. However, the cleaned. 1 arrangement illustrated is preferred because here The nozzle-A may be of any suitable cnstru'eno dirt or liquid comes in Contact with the ran 4 tion. As here shown, it has an elongated opening mechanism, Il through which the ail.v enters the nozzle- It Units 25 and 26, just described, may be lsup- COnIieCtS With 9e tube il made 0f metal 01' other ported on any convenient b ase 2B which may also stiff material whichI also serves as a handle conserve for supporting the liquid container `30 0f s venient for moving the' nozzle across the floor. the liquid supply means C, The container 3 car. Adjacent the edge of opening lo is one or more 'nes m its body portion so e liquid L which may rows o! bristles I2 whieh- Serve eSl e brush fOr `be water ox' any desired cleaning fluid. The top scrubbing the surface beine cleaned. portion sob ls removable for adding liquid to the 5 At the upper 1201421011 0f the tubular handle iS container and contains an opening through which o an opening I3 in the Side 0f the handle. and this is received the neck 21e of the outlet conduit. opening iS normally elOSed by e- Valve member i4 Thus the interior of conduit 21' is in communiwhich is DiVOillY mounted 0n e lug l5 and has cation with the interior of container 30 above the attached to it the hand lever I1 and the cable level of liquidL.

lever I8.' A spring I9 presses the hand lever I1 A tube In o! comparatively small cross section that with the hand lever in this middle position,

extends through opening 2lb in the wall of outlet conduit 21 and downwardly through neck Ri into the liquid in container 38, the extreme end extending to the bottom portion of the container. 'I'he middle portion of this tube is preferably held within the covering on the vacuum tube 23 as more clearly shown in Fig. 6, and its other end portion extends downwardly adjacent handle II, the extreme end having its outlet opening adjacent nozzle A.

At the end of outlet conduit 2l is the normal air outlet opening 3 I. Controlling the air emitted through this opening is a valve member 3 3 pivot.- ally mounted within conduit 2lv and adapted to be moved to a position in which it obstructs the passage` of air outwardly through opening 3l. A lever 32 is attached to valve member 33 and extends on the exterior of the outlet conduit, its upper end being attached to the rearward end of cable 420. A spring 34, extending between lever 33 and outlet conduit 21, serves to maintain the valve member normally in position to permit free Dassgge of air outwar y through outlet opening I. Y

In the use of my improved scrubber, the base 28, supporting the units 25 and 26 and the container 30, may be placed at any convenient location adjacent the rug or other surface to be cleaned, and the operator may grasp the handle Il for manipulating vthe nozzle.

The operation of the device may be more clearly understood by particular reference to Figs. 2 and Y 4 of the drawings, which illustrate different positions of the valves.

The device maybe used as an ordinary vacuum cleaner without the use of cleaning fluid by simply leaving the valves remain in .their normal Positions as shown by Figs. 1 and 2 ofv the drawings. It will be observed thatthe valve member,

I4 is urged by spring I9 to close opening I3 in the handle, and that valve member 33 ls maintained in open position by the spring 34. With the valves in these positions, operation of the blower mechanism causes air adjacent the surface being cleaned to enter through opening I of the nozzle, pass upwardly through handle II, through tube 23, and through separating unit 25. Within the unit 25, the air is relieved of its V.dust particles through centrifugal action, and

only clean air enters the blower unit 26 and is passed outwardly through outlet conduit 21. Since valve member 33 is in vopen position, all of the air discharged is emitted through the outlet opening 3|, and none is caused to pass into the container 30.

When it is desired to discharge a quantity of cleaning liquid on the rug or other surface, `the operator has merely to raise the hand lever `I1 After the lever has been raised to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4, the valve member I4 will have been moved so as to allow air to enter into the handle through the opening I3. 'I'his movement of the hand lever also causes the cable lever I8 to move forwardly toward the end of the cable and engage the head 2|.- It will be seenair is allowed to enter through the opening I3 .to relieve the suction at nozzle Aand. sinceA the position of the valve member 33 has not been changed, the air will be discharged through the outlet opening 3|. Thus the blower means may remain in continuous operation while its eiect is temporarily nulliiled.`

When'the operator raises the hand lever I1 rate.

destroy the vacuum at the nozzle just as before'A explained. By causing the valve member 33 to move to closed position, the discharge of air through outlet opening. 3l is lshut ofi and the air is caused to enter the upper portion of the container through the neck 218, causing the air within the container to be compressed. The increased pressure against the surface of the liquid within the container causes liquid to be forced upwardly in tube 4I! and discharged at the other end of the tube adjacent the nozzle.

When suicient liquid has been discharged the operator may release the hand lever to the posi` tion shown in solidlines in Fig. 4. 'I'his allows the cable 20 to be drawn rearwardly by the spring 33, and the valve member 33 is moved to open k position, permitting the discharge of air through outlet opening 3I and relieving the air pressure within the container to stop the ow of liquid through tube 40.

By holding `the hand lever in thisposition, the operator may use the nozzle simply as a scrub brush to spread the liquid and agitate the surface. If desired, a soapy liquid may be used and, by this scrubbing action, a foam may be worked up. Whatever the liquid used, the scrubbing action of the brush serves to more thoroughly bring the liquid into contact with the dust and and to loosen the dirt, so that it together with the liquid may be drawn oi from the surface by the. use of the vacuum.

After scrubbing the surface for supplying liquid, Aand that no separate pump or -other actuating means Ais necessary. Another very important feature of the invention is that the vacuum effective at the nozzle is relieved during the time liquid is discharged and during the scrubbing operation. In the use of the device, the nozzle may be moved vigorously across the surface during the time liquid is being supplied and the liquid worked well into the surface as it thoroughly, theoperator may further release the hand lever I`I maintaining a vacuum in thenoz'zle.-

drawn through the nozzle, throughy tube and liquid are retained and from which dirt,4

is applied; then the surface may be scrubbed after l. the :dow of liquid` is stopped, if so desired. 'I'he vacuum effective for drawing in the dirt and liquid vis not applied to the nozzle 'until the hand lever lower normal position and the opening I3 is closed. y

By moving handlever I'I to its extreme upper position; the valve member 33 is caused to completely close the passage to outlet opening 3I, and the liquid is forced through tube 40 at a rapid However, if lever I'I is moved almost to this extreme position, the valve member 33 will re- I'I is allowed to move back to its strict but not close the passage to outlet opening Il. By restricting this passage a lesser compression is built up in container l0 and the liquid may be forced through tube 40 at a slower rate. Thus the control means here employed is effective also in regulating the speed of ow or the rate at which liquid is supplied.

v'I'he foregoing detailed description has been given for cleamess of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim: v

1. Apparatus of the character set forth comprising: a. cleaning nozzle ladapted to be passed along the surface to becleaned, an air cleaning unit, a tube connecting said nozzle and cleaning unit, blower means for passing air and liquid through said tube into said cleaning unit, a withdrawal conduit through which clean air is dis-l charged to the atmosphere, a container adapted to contain a liquid therein, the interior of said container being in communication with the in. terior of said withdrawal conduit, a liquid tube having its inlet opening in said` container below the level of said liquid and having its outlet opening adjacent said nozzle, and means for passing at least a part of the air discharged through said withdrawal conduit into said container to force the liquid through said liquid tube.

2. Apparatus of the character set forth comprising: a cleaning nozzle, conduit means connected with said nozzle, suction-producing means associated with said conduit means for drawing air through said nozzle, a container adapted to contain liquid therein, a tube having an inlet opening in said container and belowrthe level of said liquid and having an outlet opening adjacent the surface being cleaned, said conduit said control means is adapted to move said nrstmentioned valve means to open position without affecting the position of said last-mentioned valve means.

4. Apparatus of the character set forth comprising: a cleaning nozzle equipped with a brush. tube means communicating -with said nozzle, means for supplying liquid to the surface to be cleaned and including a container adapted toV contain liquid therein, said means being adapted to supply liquid to said surface when air under pressure is: vdelivered said container, blowermeans for passing airvthi'ough ozzleandH25]l tube means and 'for delivering under to container, a valve normallyfpreventing'the delivery of air under pressure to said' container, an

opening in said tube means between said nozzle` I and said blower means, a valve normally closing 30 said opening, and control means for operating said valves to permit delivery of liquid to said sur` face without air being drawn through said nozzle.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which said control means is operative for moving said first-mentioned valve to normal position without 'moving said last-mentioned valve to closed position.

om s. Jonson. 40 

